[Harp-L] Pucker tone

[Jonathan Ross <jross38@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

Ev630 writes:

"Doesn't
matter the genre, the point is that you can't get the same bassy tone  
when
doing lots of that lip pursing and whistling through the harp, so you  
need
effects."

I think that is a fairly blanket statement with no real support.   
There have been plenty of people who get the traditional tone  
puckering over the years (I'm not sure, is Butter's tone tradition,  
bassy or fat?  I can think of a lot of people here who would say yes  
to all three).  I think it's noteworthy that Jerry Portnoy in fact  
teaches pucker for the first three holes and tongue-block from there  
up in his great "Masterclass" CDs.  I think it's a fairly safe  
assumption that this is the technique he uses, and I hear no  
significant change in tone between his pucker playing and his tb  
playing.

Now, can you play very fast stuff and have the same type of tone is  
another question.  Sugar Blue has a tone more similar to someone like  
Ricci's, IMO, and he tongue blocks (showing that you can play fast  
and tongue block).

I would argue it's a difference in playing technique (fast and high  
verses slow and low) and not a difference in embouchure.



JR Ross